GAINESVILLE, Fla., and CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Purdue track & field team earned three second-place finishes at a pair of meets on Saturday, at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida, and the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational in Cincinnati.
The final day of the Florida Relays was highlighted by a pair of runner-up finishes, which came after a six-hour weather delay prior to the start of the running events. Saturday was the second of two days for the Boilermakers at Florida's James G. Pressly Stadium. On Purdue's lone day of competition at the Oliver Nikoloff Invite, the Boilermakers notched four top-three finishes and earned two personal-best marks on a cool day at Gettler Stadium.
Senior Antonio Mitchell II and freshman Praise Aniamaka notched the Boilermakers' second-place finishes in Gainesville and freshman Zamen Siyoum earned the honor in Cincinnati. Both Mitchell II and Aniamaka's performances took place after the weather delay and under the lights, and Aniamaka's came with a steady rain still falling.
Mitchell II finished second in the 100m in 10.41 seconds. His runner-up finish, which closed out the night for Purdue, was the second running of the event for his heat, after a timing error negated the first edition of the heat's race several minutes earlier.
In his outdoor triple jump debut, Aniamaka's first attempt gave him the second place finish. He earned a mark of 15.17m and was one of just two competitors to jump more than 15.00m.
As the rain stopped for the evening, junior Camille Christopher was fourth in the 100m thanks to a time of 11.61.
In Purdue's lone event prior to the rain delay, senior Kelly Cook Jr. notched a season-best mark in the discus. The throw of 51.81 meters came on his third attempt as Cook Jr. finished fourth overall.
Aniamaka was one of four Boilermakers with a top-five finish in the men's or women's triple jump. For the men, sophomore LJ Hill posted a personal-best jump of 14.53m to place fifth. In the women's competition, freshman Rieko Wilford was fourth, with a jump of 12.04m, and sophomore teammate Deborah Obadofin placed fifth with a mark of 12.01m. Wilford and Obadofin both earned their marks on their second attempts.
In Cincinnati, Siyoum finished second in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 53.75. He also placed third in the 100m hurdles in 14.52, which was another personal-best time.
Sophomore Gage Ernsberger and freshman Owen Schafer joined Siyoum with third-place finishes in Ohio. Ernsberger took bronze in the high jump with a clearance of 1.95m, while Schafer was third in the 400m in 50.04.
Additionally, freshman Paul Goins tied his collegiate-best time in the 100m hurdles thanks to a mark of 15.46 to finish seventh. Senior Tessa Sheets had a season-best clearance of 3.71m in the pole vault to place fifth.
Saturday marked the first collegiate competition outdoors for 11 Boilermakers, as freshmen Ikeava Bryant (11.91m shot put, 16th / 37.39m discus, 18th), Anne Busse (3.56m pole vault, 8th), Grant Gogel (4.64m pole vault, 4th), Chris Huisman (14.59m shot put, 8th), Henry H.L. Lewis (22.48 200m, 9th / 11.23 100m, 11th), Kaylah Lumsden (25.66 200m, 9th / 12.89 100m, 22nd), Morgan Murff (37.76m discus, 17th), Joseph Romanyk (1:56.31 800m, 17th), Logan Sandlin (4.49m pole vault, T-6th) and Mason Wolfe (1:57.75 800m, 24th) made their outdoor debuts in Cincinnati and freshman Tyneilus Morrow (10.86 100m, 17th) competed outdoors for the first time in Gainesville.
On Friday to open the Florida Relays, sophomore Jabari Bryant ran the seventh-fastest 400 meter hurdles time in school history as the Boilermakers added one personal-record time, a collegiate-best-tying time and several other marks that are among the best in the Big Ten this season.
Purdue travels to two meets next weekend from April 8-9. The Boilermakers head to the Texas A&M Team Invitational in College Station, Texas, and the Illini Classic in Champagne, Illinois. The two meets marks the final split weekend of the season for the Boilermakers.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The final day of the Florida Relays was highlighted by a pair of runner-up finishes, which came after a six-hour weather delay prior to the start of the running events. Saturday was the second of two days for the Boilermakers at Florida's James G. Pressly Stadium. On Purdue's lone day of competition at the Oliver Nikoloff Invite, the Boilermakers notched four top-three finishes and earned two personal-best marks on a cool day at Gettler Stadium.
Senior Antonio Mitchell II and freshman Praise Aniamaka notched the Boilermakers' second-place finishes in Gainesville and freshman Zamen Siyoum earned the honor in Cincinnati. Both Mitchell II and Aniamaka's performances took place after the weather delay and under the lights, and Aniamaka's came with a steady rain still falling.
Mitchell II finished second in the 100m in 10.41 seconds. His runner-up finish, which closed out the night for Purdue, was the second running of the event for his heat, after a timing error negated the first edition of the heat's race several minutes earlier.
In his outdoor triple jump debut, Aniamaka's first attempt gave him the second place finish. He earned a mark of 15.17m and was one of just two competitors to jump more than 15.00m.
As the rain stopped for the evening, junior Camille Christopher was fourth in the 100m thanks to a time of 11.61.
In Purdue's lone event prior to the rain delay, senior Kelly Cook Jr. notched a season-best mark in the discus. The throw of 51.81 meters came on his third attempt as Cook Jr. finished fourth overall.
Aniamaka was one of four Boilermakers with a top-five finish in the men's or women's triple jump. For the men, sophomore LJ Hill posted a personal-best jump of 14.53m to place fifth. In the women's competition, freshman Rieko Wilford was fourth, with a jump of 12.04m, and sophomore teammate Deborah Obadofin placed fifth with a mark of 12.01m. Wilford and Obadofin both earned their marks on their second attempts.
In Cincinnati, Siyoum finished second in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 53.75. He also placed third in the 100m hurdles in 14.52, which was another personal-best time.
Sophomore Gage Ernsberger and freshman Owen Schafer joined Siyoum with third-place finishes in Ohio. Ernsberger took bronze in the high jump with a clearance of 1.95m, while Schafer was third in the 400m in 50.04.
Additionally, freshman Paul Goins tied his collegiate-best time in the 100m hurdles thanks to a mark of 15.46 to finish seventh. Senior Tessa Sheets had a season-best clearance of 3.71m in the pole vault to place fifth.
Saturday marked the first collegiate competition outdoors for 11 Boilermakers, as freshmen Ikeava Bryant (11.91m shot put, 16th / 37.39m discus, 18th), Anne Busse (3.56m pole vault, 8th), Grant Gogel (4.64m pole vault, 4th), Chris Huisman (14.59m shot put, 8th), Henry H.L. Lewis (22.48 200m, 9th / 11.23 100m, 11th), Kaylah Lumsden (25.66 200m, 9th / 12.89 100m, 22nd), Morgan Murff (37.76m discus, 17th), Joseph Romanyk (1:56.31 800m, 17th), Logan Sandlin (4.49m pole vault, T-6th) and Mason Wolfe (1:57.75 800m, 24th) made their outdoor debuts in Cincinnati and freshman Tyneilus Morrow (10.86 100m, 17th) competed outdoors for the first time in Gainesville.
On Friday to open the Florida Relays, sophomore Jabari Bryant ran the seventh-fastest 400 meter hurdles time in school history as the Boilermakers added one personal-record time, a collegiate-best-tying time and several other marks that are among the best in the Big Ten this season.
Purdue travels to two meets next weekend from April 8-9. The Boilermakers head to the Texas A&M Team Invitational in College Station, Texas, and the Illini Classic in Champagne, Illinois. The two meets marks the final split weekend of the season for the Boilermakers.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.